Huddersfield Town should have claimed at least an opening-day draw at Nottingham Forest – but paid a high price for a lapse in concentration.

Mauled 6-1 at the City Ground in Mark Robins’ first Championship game at the helm in February, their defensive resolve was far stronger on this visit to the East Midlands.

But as the boss pointed out post-match, against good second-tier sides, as Forest look likely to be, focus must be maintained for the full 90.

Henri Lansbury, who holidayed with Town’s Jack Hunt during the close-season (their respective partners are good friends), applied the close-range 52nd-minute finish which claimed the three points.

Henri Lansbury scores for Nottingham Forest against Huddersfield Town
Henri Lansbury scores for Nottingham Forest against Huddersfield Town

But the architect was home skipper Chris Cohen, who surged down the left channel, played a neat one-two with Simon Cox, and put in an inviting cross which meant Lansbury simply had to side-foot home.

Full-back Cohen and Andy Reid, who operated on the left of a home midfield diamond, made sure Hunt had a busy afternoon.

But the right-back wasn’t the only visiting player who might have halted the run which brought the breakthrough for Billy Davies’s much-fancied side.

It was extra frustrating that James Vaughan had just come agonisingly close to putting Town ahead.

Less than a minute of the second half had elapsed when last season’s 14-goal top scorer raced onto Adam Clayton’s pass, held off his marker and sent in a smart left-foot shot which keeper Karl Darlow did well to beat away.

Vaughan also linked well with Clayton to come close with a header in the opening minute of the first half, and had two chances to equalise thanks to crosses by Paul Dixon and substitute Adam Hammill.

Robins’ rapid response to his side going behind was to sacrifice Sean Scannell and Oscar Gobern, neither of whom were at their best, for Danny Ward and Hammill and go 4-4-2 after starting with a 4-2-3-1 formation in which Gobern and debutant Jonathan Hogg anchored the midfield.

Former Watford man Hogg’s hard-working performance was one of the positives on a disappointing day for Town, who look to have acquired a player with energy, determination and real bite.

Vaughan, who ended the match clutching his ribs but should be fit for tomorrow’s Capital One Cup derby at home to Bradford City, also put in a typically spirited shift, and might well have had a first goal since joining permanently from Norwich.

Meanwhile fellow forward Martin Paterson, on his full debut after joining from Burnley, began brightly and came close with a deflected first-half shot, before he was replaced by Spaniard Cristian Lopez, whose international clearance arrived on Friday night.

Forest were working hard to close out the game by the time Lopez got in on the action, but their victory was far from a cakewalk, and there is certainly something for Robins to work with.

Only a caution spoiled a solid show by former Forest centre-back Joel Lynch, while captain Peter Clarke was as committed as ever, and as well as being rigid for the most part, the back four looked reasonably happy with Robins’ preferred patient passing system.